Regrowth
by Secret Sheik
Summary: Sequel to Burning Rose. Read that one first. Sakura is alone and going crazy, her world rocked by the consequences of Itachi's passing. Shattered, she finds someone that will remind her of her purpose. Kisame/Sakura
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The sequel is here! For all of you who have been anticipating this (seriously, I had like ten people put me on author alert when BR ended) thank you for your support and enjoy! For the rest of you... I hope you find a new favorite and enjoy the story! (poem is by me, by the way, heh.)

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_I chanced upon this fragile thing,_

_clinging, clinging, clinging_

_It grew and grew but yet did not,_

_dying, dying, dying_

_as I held it in my hands_

_withering, fading_

_the dry crisp petals never held less beauty_

Regrowth - Ch. 1

What can possibly happen to someone that lost everything? What more could the world possibly throw into the face of someone that could no longer feel pain, could no longer sense anything beyond the chakra of impending attackers? It was all she could do to exist. It was all she could do to trudge on step after numbing step, heading who knew where. There was nothing left anymore. Her clenched hand came before her, her eyes looking past to the sand underneath her feet. Unclasping her hand slightly, she stared for an unknown time at this ring, The Void, old, worn and chipped. She had almost forgotten. It had finally almost escaped her memory, only to show up in this stupid atrocity she carried in her pocket.

After Itachi died, it was one disaster after another. Deidara was reported dead, along with his partner and Sasuke. She had known better. Madara and Sasuke wouldn't be dumb enough to die like that. Itachi took on Sasuke not long after, meeting his death as he had expected. Sakura had kept up communication with Akatsuki, acting as a liaison between them and Konoha. However... none of them, not even Itachi, had expected how powerful Madara was. He overwhelmed them so easily... it was a complete slaughter. Pein had met Madara in the battle, aiding Konoha and surprising everyone. Even with his help, their forces were strained. Little was left of Konoha now, and nearly everyone she had known had died that day.

Pein and Konan survived, she knew it somehow, though nobody knew what became of the others. Zetsu... she wondered what became of him. Even though they had only known each other on the most basic terms, they still got along. Konan... well, she didn't know the kunoichi well, but she knew that Pein held her in high regard as well as displayed affection for her in those final fateful days. Pein... yes, she would miss him too, though in a strange twisted way. Kisame... Her hand clenched tight around the ring in her hand as tears threatened to form. She knew they wouldn't. Ever since the fight died down, she was numb. Tsunade was gone after expending all her chakra to aid the citizens of Konoha. Sasuke had been killed by her own hand. Kakashi, Yamato, Iruka, Choji, Shikamaru, the list went on.

The worst pain had come when she had lost Sai, who she had finally come to regard as a close friend. As for Naruto... she knew he was still alive, he had fought Danzo that day. A few of the great nations had supported Madara, only helping the terrible battle. In the end, Madara was dead, killed by Konan after he dealt a nearly fatal blow to Pein. The remains of Akatsuki retreated that day, never to be heard from again. It was for the best. Konoha wouldn't have been able to accept them after such a war, not yet at least. All they had wanted from the start was a peaceful world, though it had cost everything. Yes, there was peace now alright, a peace brought on by the near slaughter of everyone and everything in every shinobi nation.

She spat in disgust into the sand. Hell, she didn't even know why she was out here. Ever since the war was over, once she grew numb to everything, many shinobi left Konoha, the pain of losing everything they loved too much to bear. Those nin now wandered the wilderness, and she had even encountered a few now and then. One had been a rock shinobi, but once they saw the deadened, glazed glare in each others' eyes, they stepped out of the other's way and proceeded with their wandering. Nobody wanted to fight anymore. Even the hunter nin she had encountered didn't bother, wandering in small groups of three or four. Elite, solo ANBU would be found in caves once in a while, lost in their own personal trauma. Why was she here? Why Suna, of all places? Well, nobody would come looking for here here, that was for certain. The constant sand storms were actually almost lulling, their sad keen matching the outburst of sorrow she didn't permit herself to have.

Sand, sand, sand for miles and miles, sky, sun, wind, dry hot wind, no rain, no vegetation, no life, nothing but her and her footsteps and so much sand, sand... The heat was intense, this unbearable heat, as unbearable as the pain, though nothing could eclipse the pain, nothing could ever compare, there existed no contrast, no cure, nothing. Nothing, nothing, just like this nothing around her. Ahead in the distance was a large rock, its image wavering in the heated air. When she approached, she saw three figures seated on the surface of the sandstone, each turning their heads up at her. Their masks marked them as grass hunter nin, but just as quickly as they looked up at her, their heads turned back down to the sand at their feet. A few ate from their rations, drinking stored water, ignoring her just as quickly as she ignored them. She even sat with them for a moment, saying nothing, only refreshing her ever irritating thirst in this dry climate.

She left without incident, and they rose from the rock not long after, heading out on their own unknown journey. Where was she going? It didn't matter. All she had to do was find something halfway resembling shelter before nightfall. Hour after every burning hour did little to cleanse her soul and mind from all the dark images roiling through it, memories of katana skewering shinobi through the heart, blood exploding from a severed artery, intestines falling from a gut wound... The setting sun made her finally have some reprieve from the memories, the haste of finding shelter foremost in her mind.

After a few more miles she was relieved to see what seemed to be a dilapidated building, half of it collapsed to make a slanted roof, the rest enclosed by rubble. A large crack in the rubble opened near the back, and with a sigh she entered the dark enclosure. The air was slightly cool, sheltered from the burning heat and winds by day, though she knew it would insulate her from the icy cold of desert night. Darkness made it hard to tell where one shape ended and another began, but after a moment she found a corner to sit in, weary from all the walking. It was times like this that the nightmares were the worst, flickering across her vision even while awake. This unending horror... this perpetual waking dream...

A slight scuff from across the room caught her attention, though she didn't pay much heed to it. Someone else must be here. It didn't matter, they probably just wanted a better look, to make sure she was friend and not foe. Not like it mattered anymore. Nobody meant anything to anyone anymore. However, when the figure drew closer, her heart suddenly throbbed in her chest as he spoke. "Well I'll be damned. What are you doing all the way out here, kid?"

She knew that voice anywhere, but her own voice sounded hollow, empty, cracking from disuse. "...Kisame." Was she supposed to be relieved? She was so damn tired... At this point she couldn't even form a coherent sentence, trailing off into silence as she stared up at his face, not comprehending the reality of his presence.

He frowned slightly, a rustle all that sounded before he put something fragrant to her lips. "Here, drink this up. Go on, take it." When she stared at him blankly, still in a daze, he sighed and poured just a taste on her lips. She reflexively swallowed and he kept giving the mixture to her like this, little by little until she drank the rest on her own.

Her lips puckered slightly, her dulled hands cautiously taking the jug. "What... what is..." Her brain fizzed slightly, the next part not quite coming. The drink was sour and sweet, rejuvenating, the sticky texture sliding down her throat slowly. She took another gulp, not caring what it was.

"It's juice taken from a cactus, sweetened with juices from a few desert melons. I have some fresh roasted lizards if you can stomach it." He knew what was wrong with her. The loss of the village must have traumatized her. As if losing Itachi hadn't been enough. Or Deidara, or really anyone... For her own good, he had to get her thinking with her stomach for the moment.

She only looked up blankly a moment before finishing the drink, her mind becoming somewhat cleared. "Thank you... maybe... yes, I can eat."

He handed her one of the lizards sitting near a fire outside the building, coming back and watching, waiting as she slowly ate the meal. As before, he knew not to rush her, not to insist on hearing whatever it was that plagued her. It was somewhat reminiscent of two years ago, when he had found her clutching her knees to her chest after Itachi kissed her for the first time. Funny how history could repeat itself, though he wasn't amused. After she finished, he chanced conversation again. "Need anything?" Her only response was to look down at her hand, clasping and unclasping around something. When he looked into her palm he saw that old ring, The Void. She still kept it?

After a moment her eyes suddenly went wide, something flashing in her memories. _I want you to take care of Kisame..._ Yes, that was a promise she had made. She had to break it in the past, though it was in fear for her own life. "Itachi made me promise... he said... he said to promise him that..." She trailed off, her eyes even wider than before, the strain of remembering apparent.

Kisame spoke softly, trying not to get her on edge. "A promise, huh? What was it?"

She started shaking, jittery, her mouth working around words that wouldn't come. Almost as if in a trance, her hollow words came out in shattered fragments. "Need to make sure he succeeds... have to make sure he'll be alright... I promised... Yes, I'll take care of Kisame. ...I understand."

He knew she was slowly going insane. After the war, he had seen it all happen before. A person would stumble into his temporary home now and then, and he would offer them standard courtesy if they would accept it. Sometimes they wouldn't say anything, just staying the night and leaving. A few would go mad, running out into the heat or cold, possibly to their deaths. In a desperate move, he put his hand on one side of her face, tilting her up to look at him. "Sakura, I'm right here! You did a great job of taking care of me, you don't need to worry about that anymore. I'm fine. But now I need you to promise me something, alright?" He waited until she nodded faintly, her eyes glazed over with madness. "Just promise to try to move on... You can't keep doing this to yourself. All you'd accomplish is turning yourself into a mad hare running around the forest. That's no way to honor the memory of your friends." He knew he was being harsh, but it was all that would get through to her now.

Her eyes met his, slightly comprehending through the haze. "I... promised. I... did what I said."

He nodded, encouraging her. "That's right, you did. He's proud of you, you know. He told me that himself. He respected you, and I gotta say he hardly ever respected anyone."

Ever so slightly, the tiniest smile escaped from her. "I kept it like he asked..." Her fingers released their hold on The Void, the writing gleaming.

He hated to condescend to someone of her intelligence, but he had to retain whatever shred of sanity she held. His hands joined hers to re-close her fingers, keeping her grip around the ring. "Yes, that's very good. Keep holding on to it, alright?"

"O-Okay..." Her eyes grew hazy again.

He needed a way to snap her out of this, and he suddenly remembered something. His hand went into his pocket and clasped before her. "I think he wanted you to have this." Her other hand opened slowly, and a clinking of metal was all that sounded as Itachi's necklace dropped into her hand. He waited, not knowing what would happen. Her eyes went as wide as they could go, glazing over with insanity. In the long, tense moment he didn't know what she would do.

Then she broke.

Without warning, she burst into tears. He half expected this, though he had half expected her to go completely insane and drop from the world. It was a terrible risk, but this was what she needed. If she could still cry, she wasn't beyond hope. She convulsed from the effort of her sobs, the sheer strength of her emotion making her too fragile form shake. When she clung to him and cried into his shirt, he didn't resist, holding on to her as she tried to cling to whatever she still held on to in this twisted world. He had no idea how long she cried. She was probably mourning, for everyone, for everything, for nothing, probably even for herself. It really didn't matter. She still felt, still needed, still lived and breathed and cried, still held the will to survive. What had Itachi called it? The will of fire? Yes, she still had that somewhere.

After a long time, she suddenly froze in place, looking up at him as if waking from a lengthy sleep. She seemed shocked, looking all around as if she didn't recall being here. "...Kisame? What... where am I? What happened?"

His brows raised with interest. So that's what happened. Her suffering had been so severe that she was reduced to a state of numbness, so deep that she was running strictly on instinct, never truly waking up and seeing what was around her. He rubbed her back, trying to keep her relaxed. "What's the last thing you remember? Do you remember coming here?"

"...no. The last thing I remember..." A frown appeared on her face, her eyes contemplative. "Sai... he... he died. I tried to save him but he died..."

That was a long while ago, from his recollection. "I guess you went into shock after that. When you came in, you were wandering like the waking dead. Shit, I thought you were a ghost for a moment but then you didn't disappear. You kept rambling, I thought you'd go insane if I didn't do something. Then..." He gestured down to her hands, still clinging to both The Void and Itachi's necklace.

Her hands clasped around the necklace slowly. "I remember now... I don't know how many places I've been. Has it been two years?" At his nod, she whimpered slightly. "So much lost... How... How am I supposed to go on like this?"

He knew she could just as quickly slip back into madness, so again he made her face him. "You have to, Sakura. I've had to. It hasn't been easy for me either. I've been living out here like a freaking hermit for the past year just to make sense of it all. When I finally came to, it was like coming out of a boiling pot into ice water. You gotta wake up and keep going. You gotta remember who you live for, whose memories you live to take on with you. They died to save the living, remember? Don't go turning zombie on me, kid, that would be a disgrace."

She smiled just a bit at his odd humor. "Yes... I suppose it would be pretty creepy..."

"You just keep that to remind yourself, whenever you have a moment that you wished you weren't alive, just look at it and remember. It's all that kept me sane these years."

She clutched it tighter. "...thank you, Kisame."

He took out a ring, twirling it around before sighing. "...he actually wanted you to have this. It was his ring. But... then I thought about it, and I wanted to give you something more personal. It... I dunno." He fidgeted, messing his hair. "I guess I figured it would mean more to you."

A real smile slowly manifested on her features, the reaction small but meaningful. "Yes... you have no idea."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yes. I have been in a writing slump. My main job right now involves typing. Would you want to do 10 hours of typing and then come back and type a fan fic? That's what I thought. That, combined with other stuff, is just eating the hours away! Guess I have to write another poem huh? Oh, I do not own Naruto. If you think I do, you are a spaz.

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_I would have been lying if I said it meant nothing._

_But then, is it really nothing to simply know,_

_Is it really nothing to have presence?_

_If that is nothing, then I will be nothing._

Regrowth - Ch. 2

Dim light cast all around the broken shelter, sand and dust blowing through the cracks, shafts of light visible wherever they fell. This light was pale and soft, the half-filled moon bearing its witness on all that roamed beneath it. The polished metal of Itachi's necklace sparkled in the firelight just outside of Sakura's vision, casting phantom flames on her face. She wasn't sure how long she stared like that, though eventually she was aware that Kisame fell asleep. He slept like most shinobi, back to the wall and one hand on a weapon. As for herself, she rarely felt the need to sleep armed anymore, but her curiosity got the better of her and she watched his face as he dozed off unawares. In this odd lighting, she couldn't even detect the signature blue color of his skin, the rough gills and sharp jaw all that stood out aside. What exactly was he, really?

The signs of shark possession were vivid, his face wide, cheekbones angled severely and jaw heavyset. Despite the broad overall figure, he didn't seem to have a scrap of fat left on him, the flames flickering off well toned muscle. His eyes suddenly opened, slitted and staring intently. She averted her eyes hastily, not wanting to be caught staring, but he handled the scrutiny with good humor. "What? Never got a good look back in the old days?"

She decided to give back whatever she got. "Honestly, no, but I know you got a good hard look at me." A small smirk slid across her face, the gesture feeling so peculiar after spending so long with a dead look on her face.

He scoffed lightly, leaning further back against the wall. "Yeah that was some time ago, kid." For a long, choked moment, neither of them could say a word. Despite the fact that they were both the talkative type at times, for some reason minutes passed before he could say anything. "Your hair grew."

Her hands went subconsciously to the ends of her hair, now past the shoulder after two years of neglect. Even though she liked her old short style, she couldn't bring herself to care. "I guess I never paid much attention to it."

Another long, pregnant silence filled the cavern before he muttered quietly. "It looked better the other way."

She scoffed softly, nodding once. "Yeah. I liked it better that way too."

His eyes darted in her direction, scanning before questioning. "Yeah? So why did you have it so long way back? To keep flies off your ass?" Razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the light, though perhaps they only seemed sharp. Were they really?

"No, stupid girl stuff. I liked Sasuke back then and I grew it out because I thought he'd like it. One day though, it got cut off in battle and it was like that ever since. Why bother growing it out again for someone that doesn't even care? He tried to kill me, but I ended up killing him instead."

"Yeah, I saw a good chunk of your fight with him. I couldn't believe a little thing like you packed that much of a punch, even after being with us and taking up the training. I guess he had it in for him, huh? You showed him what pain was really like, didn't you?"

Her eyes were downcast and sad. "No, I don't take glory in that battle. I defended myself, I defended what was left of Konoha. There is no honor in making others feel your pain. That is where Pein's initial ideals were horrifically skewed. He thought that by making others feel the pain he felt, it would make them want to repent, or something like that. I don't think he realized how resilient people can be, even after that much pain. He wouldn't have made it if he had tried it. As it is, maybe he can be content with the way things are. I haven't heard from him."

Kisame glanced down at the ring still on his finger. "He's out there somewhere. I still have this old ring in case I want to contact him, but I have no reason to."

"Why don't you just get rid of it then? You don't need it."

He smirked and shrugged in an exaggerated manner. "Well alright, why don't you get rid of your Konoha headband? You don't need it."

"That's...!" She paused, her fingers brushing over the cold metal of her headband, the Konoha insignia not even scratched out, missing though she was. "I guess I see what you mean."

"Well yeah, it's why even those missing nin never give up their headbands, even if they are scratched out. This ring, just like my own headband, it's all part of who you are, you know? Giving that up is like giving up Samehada, you won't see me doing it while I still draw breath!"

"We all came pretty close, didn't we? To dying, I mean. I wasn't even sure you were alive, I lost all contact with everyone. I tried communicating through this ring but nothing got through."

"No, I couldn't either for quite some time. It was for our protection, you see, designed by Pein himself. All of the ring holders could easily find him, and that included Madara until he met his own demise. Once he was dead, the jutsu was gone, but I guess you never knew and thought all contact was done for good, huh? I have no idea if anyone else even made it through. If Madara hadn't found out about you like he did, maybe things would have gone a bit smoother."

Her eyes widened at that. "He found out about me before the battle? How? When? What... Why did he let it all happen?"

"Deidara figured it out, I don't know that for certain but I'd bet everything I had on that! He was always a little suspicious of you, and that guy likes to complain, especially if he's been deceived. We never knew it at the time and neither did you, but Madara found out some time before Deidara killed himself off and set a tracker on you. It's how he was able to track Itachi in the last few days, how he was able to find Sasuke and capture him for his own purposes. However... after that last night in the woods, he was never able to find you again."

Her brows furrowed slightly. "If he set the tracker on me without my ever knowing, how did he manage to lose me?"

For the first time, Kisame seemed at a loss. No, not at a loss, more like... he really didn't want to say exactly how it happened, but under her stare he finally spilled it. "Well, funny thing is... he set the tracker on your uh... on your bra. And... well, for some reason, you ditched it far from the campsite that evening. Madara was really pissy later on, raving about how on earth you could have possibly figured it out and done nothing, but uh... you didn't know... did you?"

She tried to keep her composure as best as she could. "Ah... no, I guess it must have fallen out of my pack."

He chuckled and grinned wide. "Everyone thought you figured it out and ditched the thing, but I knew better than that. Of course, I keep my big mouth shut, unlike some pyro I know." With a grimace, he continued. "That thing wasn't all that left you for good that day." He added a wink for good measure.

Her face reddened noticeably, her arms clutching her legs closer to herself. "W-what's that supposed to mean?"

He rolled his eyes with exaggeration, sighing loudly. "Oh come on, we're both adults here, right? I'm pretty darn sure I know what happened that night so don't act dumb." His form shifted uncomfortably against the wall and he glanced down at the floor. "I know he had kinda mixed thoughts about you sometimes, he told me about it, you know? We weren't just partners, he trusted me. You can trust me too."

Her own eyes met the floor, her tone quiet as she admitted to what had happened. "It's exactly how you thought it was. I don't know why it happened, it just did."

"Is that so..." His gaze grew reflective for a moment. "What did you do to him, besides the obvious? When he left that day he seemed so... resolute, and yet... It wasn't like other missions where he had already decided the outcome, that time he seemed completely at peace with himself. What exactly happened back then?"

She smiled mysteriously and clasped the necklace a little harder. "I don't know. Maybe he finally found the answers he needed."

With a sharp nod, he finally relaxed. "That's good to hear. I knew there had been quite a few things troubling him. It's funny, though, that that kid found the answers long before an old guy like me, who's been searching for answers so much longer."

Her eyes flickered to him and back to the ground, then to him again, pondering what he said. "And what kind of answers are you looking for... Kisame?"

"Just life, you know. Why we're here, what the hell we're doing, why I was born this way, you know. The usual stuff. I don't think too much about the higher powers or whatever the hell Itachi liked to go on about. Something about the will of fire being passed down the generations, making them stronger. Not so good when the kid you pass it down to goes bat-shit crazy."

"It's good enough when you pass it on to someone who will do some good. My teacher passed down everything she knew on to me, and I even managed to improve on a few things she had been working on. After she died, I finished whatever new techniques she left behind. The will of fire works both ways."

"Guess so." His arms crossed behind his head, his form relaxing further against the rough stone wall. "We never believed stuff like that. In the mist, I mean. If you got killed, then you obviously deserved the death you got. If you stole something and got away with it, you deserved what you took. If you killed someone, you got away with that too. As long as you were strong enough to protect yourself, you were good enough to them."

She scoffed. "That's barbaric."

He merely shrugged. "It's all we knew. The kids hardly go outside the mist, they're taught from the start how things are, and by the time they grow up, they really believe it. Tell you what, though, there aren't a whole lot of people out there that are my age, that's for sure. Any survivors are subject to be paired with someone if they hadn't found a suitable mate by a certain age. They kept the strong bloodlines strong, and set the weaklings at the front lines. Barbaric, maybe, but... very efficient."

"They would seriously go as far as to pair people off? That's messed up... If you can't even choose..."

"Well, everyone had their chance, but if you weren't paired off at a certain age, then it became a matter of choosing good blood."

"So... Were you paired off?"

"I guess you could say that, although I never met her, what with getting thrown out of the mist and joining Akatsuki and all that mess. You gotta do an awful lot of shit to get exiled from the mist, that's for sure. Well, anyway, I didn't meet her, all I know is that she was from a different clan, similar to my own except that instead of having shark characteristics, her clan had something strange... they had very smooth skin and sharp tails, and they used some sort of pulse or shock to stun enemies. It's kinda like those eels you get in the ocean, except much much worse, you could die instantly if their technique struck."

"How is that possible?" Somehow she just couldn't comprehend the abilities he mentioned. "How is it that the mist ninjas can have such... unusual traits? It seems almost impossible to have animalistic qualities. I'm a medical nin, and yet I just can't see the logic..."

"Guess it's like asking why many cloud ninjas have dark skin, or where the Sharingan or Byakugan came from. Hell, that Rin'negan was the creepiest of all... You think I'm creepy, you just try and look in those eyes. My skin might be offsetting, but to look at just those eyes..." He shuddered visibly.

"That guy... Zetsu... he was just as strange. Although, I know how he came about, it was a demonic entity that somehow managed to completely fuse with his body. It's the worst case of possession I had ever witnessed. Compared to his, yours is pretty benign."

"No kidding, he-" He stopped abruptly. "Huh, so you figured it out? Well sure, the mist aren't the only ones to do that. Some cloud ninjas will fuse with bird demons, the rock ninjas are pretty elusive, but I've seen one that looked half tiger. I've seen some of your leaf ninjas fusing with wolves, or at least partially having wolf-like abilities. There's a rumor of the giant sand worm of Suna, that it was originally a ninja a hundred years ago or even more, and it continues to live out a long life under the sand, eating lone wanderers."

Her rosy brow rose suspiciously. "Oh come on... That's just a legend."

"I'm sure not taking any chances, that's why I've been masking my chakra. There's a damn good reason I got to be as old as I am, and it's because I'm not a moron. Although... Kakuzu really wasn't a moron either but look what happened to him. He was too confident of his abilities, he didn't realize that he still had much to improve on. Hidan? Yeah he was a moron, but it took a genius to incapacitate him. Guess it all depends on who you're up against, but I don't take on shit I can't handle. Sure, someone out there could kill me, maybe easily, but I have yet to take that person on."

"Probably a good thing they never sent me to take you out, then."

A sly grin crept across his face. "Oh really? Why might that be? You think you'd take me out that easy? You're not a good match to take me out, you know."

She shook her head at that. "On the contrary, I'd be the one who could take you out the most easily. It's just a matter of preparation and fully understanding the enemy."

"Is that so?" His look grew curious. "And suppose you had to? How would you do that?"

She shifted uncomfortably before reaching into her pack. "I had already planned for such a thing, though I am so glad it never had to come to that. Although it pained me to think of having to fight the people I had become friends with, I knew it was a possibility that I would need to do it to keep my cover and eventually retain the safety of the world." She pulled out a small vial of some cloudy substance, holding the white mixture for him to see. "This would kill you, Kisame, and it would kill you quickly. It's not a poison, therefore there will never be an antidote, and by the time anyone realized what it was, you would have been dead already for several hours. All it is is an injection of minerals. You are tolerant of primarily salt water, and these minerals work completely against that tolerance, unsettling your entire body system."

He took the vial gingerly, a morbid interest taking over as he looked at the seemingly harmless little thing closely. "This could kill me? Shit... you could inject that small amount in and I'd not even notice with my tough skin. I gotta admit... it's smart."

"I made something similar for Zetsu, although in his case it works against his tolerance for only fresh water. I planned quite thoroughly just in case I needed to fight all of you."

"Really... Even the leader?"

"Once I thought about his abilities long enough, it all made sense. I perfected a technique that can cause a complete chakra disturbance for as long as five seconds, which as you know is a long time in battle. He relies entirely on chakra being distributed to his bodies to a very sophisticated degree, causing a significant disturbance in the messages being relayed would cause complete confusion, allowing me to deal a fatal blow."

"Geez... Have I ever told you how much you creep me out?"

Then she laughed, the first real laugh he had heard in far too long. "I wouldn't be a very good kunoichi if I couldn't unsettle the hearts of men, now could I?"

He joined with a hearty laugh, nodding at the truth of the statement. "You got that right. I swear, I never had a problem with fighting the male shinobi, it was kunoichi that seemed to get the better of me!"

"That's why kunoichi are so important to the ninja system." She paused, a lengthy sigh following. "What the hell do we do now, Kisame? What do we do now that everything is over? What's left for us after all this? All we've ever known is this stupid war, what are we supposed to do now that the war is over with?"

His own look sobered, and he looked down at the ground reflectively. "I guess that's the whole point. Now that it's over, we can choose what we want to do. That's what we were supposed to accomplish, anyway, but... You know, I never thought about what I would do, I figured I'd die long before the war was over. Now here I am, achieving the rare middle-age and able to seal my sword away in a scroll for weeks at a time without having to use it. Hell, I don't know what to do, but I think that first of all, I'd love to get out of this stupid desert. It's driving me nuts."

"How long have you been out here, Kisame?" Only then did she notice that he was wearing rough, worn clothing, in tans and browns, suited to the desert lands. He had tied up his unruly hair from his eyes, a long cloth protecting the back of his neck and a ragged cloak hanging from his neck. Some of his clothing seemed to be in the Suna style, and she briefly wondered what- or who- he had obtained them from.

"I left not long after the battle. I wandered for maybe... hell, I don't know. I've been out here before, though. There were missions that brought me here now and then. How about you? You been in this desert before?"

"No... only one time. I'm not familiar with the desert, only in theory. I know to keep hydrated and to stay inside during the night and during storms, but actually doing it... it's different."

"You still have your cloak?" At her nod, he rummaged in his own pack. "Good, you'll wanna use that thing, for some reason it's good in all of this crazy weather, especially if you don't already have something to cover your back. Here." He tossed a large cactus fruit her way, caught easily.

"Thanks. Anything else I should know about this place?" She took a deep bite of the fruit, the juicy sweetness stinging her mouth until she became accustomed to it. No matter how much she knew medically, she never could figure out why the mouth went crazy when assaulted with something so full of taste.

"Keep your head covered, especially your neck. Try not to expose a lot of skin, it may get really hot with all the clothes, but getting sunburned is much worse."

"Right, it can damage your ability to sweat, plus other nasty things. Well... I don't really have much, but let me see what I can pull together." She pulled a few loose articles from her pack, an old shirt, some sweaters and enough bandages to cover both of them. The old shirt went first, the thing torn long ago. A few rips later, she had it tied to cover her head and a few bandages completed the headdress. Another old, torn cloak was the next victim, turning into something to cover her back. It would do. "And what about the nights? I don't know about you, but I'm freezing!"

"Just use your Akatsuki cloak, that should help. This fire will probably die out soon, so get comfortable while you can."

Cloth rustled as she pulled out her old Akatsuki cloak, the only other thing she possessed besides Itachi's necklace and Orochimaru's ring that reminded her of those old days. Even though so many bad things had happened, she had actually enjoyed her time with them. It felt so good to be back in this familiar cloak, this thing that she knew the weight of like her own skin and her fighting uniform. However, this bitter cold cut to the core, the freezing temperature difficult for her to bear. She was from fire country, a climate warm at all times, even in winter. She was not conditioned for this. "I can't get warm. I'm not used to this cold yet..."

"I forgot you were from a warm climate..." He paused, and then with an exasperated sigh, he beckoned her closer. "Come on. get over here."

Temporarily stunned, her eyes blinked rapidly. "Huh?"

He motioned more insistently. "I said come on! Get over here." His arms crossed over his chest impatiently until she edged next to him, starting suddenly as he flicked his cloak over both of them. "Hey, don't look so freaked out!"

"Sorry, you just startled me." She wasn't scared of him. In the Akatsuki, they had become friends, though still somewhat wary of each other due to their abilities. Back then, it wasn't certain whether or not she would someday have to fight him, and they never grew too close. However, now that things were certain and she knew they wouldn't have to fight, she relaxed. Without further invitation, she rested her back against his chest, much to his own surprise. Well, it only made sense, the best way to share heat was direct contact. When he finally settled back against the wall hesitantly, she allowed herself to sleep. Outside, the cold wind provided a constant weather report, even as she grew too apathetic to care.

* * *

A/N: Finally, chapter 2 is done with. Hope you all don't mind... but again, a typing job. Not fun! Please let me know what you think of this story so far. All commentary is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I have been so incredibly not inspired as far as fan fiction is concerned, so... hope you don't mind! It's better to wait and get something good, yes? I'm having some difficulty incorporating Kisame's odd speech pattern into the fics I have with him in it. In the anime, I noticed he says "so desu ne" quite a bit, which would be an affirmation of the previous statement in the form of a question like "Isn't that so?" or "You suppose?" I don't know how to do this without making it awkward. We'll see.

_Was that the moon you saw,_

_that made such a spark come to your eyes?_

_No, it was that fire,_

_burning forever on the horizon._

Sakura woke to the earth shaking violently, feeling hands suddenly around her waist. She barely managed to register sleepily that Kisame had grabbed her, jumping out of the way before their campsite was demolished. As soon as she could form a coherent thought, the first thing on her mind was _Kisame was right, there really is a giant sand worm here_. The sand worm of Suna was hardly a legend, the enormous beast's jaws opening wide right in front of her. Thousands of teeth seemed to rotate, grinding the dirt to pulp, its head twisting furiously as his prey escaped. In the east, the sun had barely just risen, casting an orange light on the already hideous monster.

She was fully awake now, twisting in Kisame's grip until he let her loose, falling down to meet the monster. It had grown to unbelievable proportions, as long as a small village. Kisame landed nearby, ready to summon his sword to hand, but she motioned him aside. No, she could handle this just fine. Sakura charged forth, barely the size of one of the monster's eyes, fist charged and ready to strike. It struck at her quickly, but she dodged both that and a lash from its tail, ducking before launching her fist into the side of its jaw. The earth shook as the beast took the impact, launched to the side heavily. As tempting as her chakra may have seemed, the worm knew when to let it go, retreating deep into the sand once again.

From the back, Kisame muttered to himself as she dusted herself off nonchalantly. "So much for chivalry."

She soon returned to him, looking back at where the monster escaped nervously. "I... guess you were right about the sand worm."

He looked just as puzzled. "You know, I never believed it either, but old habits die hard, don't they?"

A strange look crossed her face before she schooled it away. "I guess they do. What do we do now?"

"I don't know. Quite a puzzle, isn't it? All this time I've just been trying to get by, to survive in this desert. What should I do, now that I have company, huh? Maybe I've been out here so long I've forgotten my manners, maybe I'll scare you off!" He added a wide grin for good measure.

"That's ridiculous, you never forget your manners. Let's head north, there should be an oasis nearby."

He twisted himself in a mock bow before following after. "Whatever you say, Sakura-hime."

Her feet moved faster, pace increasing indignantly. "Bastard."

The journey continued in an uneasy silence, the desert around them suspiciously quiet. Few people wandered out here in these wastes, though they encountered stray missing nin from time to time, wandering with glazed eyes. Sakura wondered, every time she looked in their eyes, if that was what Kisame had seen when she stumbled into his shelter. They looked wild, frightened, jumping at every scuff in the sand. However, there were those that didn't even look at anyone else, completely ignoring her even if she came quite close. Kisame blatantly ignored them, moving on without hesitation. He probably saw them all the time.

Distorted waves in the air obscured whatever lay ahead, the desert mirages flickering into whatever the mind desired. Their midday meal was unplanned, but when they found a patch of wild cactus growing in a flood ravine, both hunger and thirst were taken care of. Late afternoon came, the deep oasis in sight and very welcoming to their parched throats. During the day, the journey itself took all of their concentration but now, with water, desert melons and shade in good supply, the conversation abruptly started again when Kisame sat down with a heavy thud.

"I hate this stupid place."

Sakura sat with a bit more decorum next to him, brushing the sand off of her clothing. "I do too."

He sighed heavily, leaning against a nearby palm tree. "Then why are we here?"

Her eyes closed for a time, and he didn't question whether she had heard him or not. He knew that she would answer when she had the right answer. It was one thing she liked most about him. No relentless questions, he would wait as long as it took to get the desired result. Maybe that came from dealing with Itachi all those years. She could relate to that somewhat. "You know, Kisame... I thought that I fled to the desert to get away from enemy ninjas, but now that I think harder, I've been lying to myself. There are still plenty of enemies here, we encountered at least five wandering bands today. It was a complete lie. All this time, I've been running away from the truth. Most of the people I cared about are dead now. Itachi is gone. These rings..." The Void sparkled dully in her hand as she opened it. "These are useless now. The forehead protector on my head, what is it, aside from a functional defense? It symbolizes what I was, but not what I am. What am I, now that these signs, these proofs of purpose, are gone or completely void?"

Kisame thought this over carefully, fiddling with a piece of a stick he found in the sand. The contorted root was oddly comforting to look at, giving him something to puzzle over. "No, those things aren't what we are now, but they are still pieces of us, you know? Whatever they were meant to be, whatever they are now, they still hold significance, if only as a reminder. For example... Itachi's ring is my reminder that there's always something bigger than you out there. The shark might be the king of the ocean, but then Man comes from above with his spear, proving it wrong." His silvery eyes flicked to hers suddenly. "You remind me of that, too, although in a different way."

"I do? Why is that?"

He jabbed a finger at her pack. "You and your medical stuff. You said that little shot of minerals was enough to kill me, and you reminded me that it's not always the big stuff you should be afraid of. Sometimes it's the smallest things that are the real danger."

She turned her face up at him, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, you're right."

The glare of the setting sun reflected in her eyes and on her face, the fiery shade contrasting with the green glimmer in her eyes. For the longest time, he hadn't the slightest notion of why Itachi had picked her of all people, after years of abstaining. He understood now, at least somewhat. Her intelligence was above that of the usual female, perhaps exceptional, and she had the capacity to understand even very difficult rationalizations. Along with that, well... He turned away from her gaze, glad that the hazy color of the sunset covered up the fact that he was blushing slightly. Why did she have to look at him like that?!

Her hands went to her arms, brushing away the cold and bringing him back to attention. "It gets cold so quickly out here. I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

He held open his cloak again to invite, and this time she didn't hesitate to take shelter against him. Though it wasn't required, he tightened his grip slightly, sighing into the air. "I really hate this place."

"It's not so bad... if you have company." She leaned back closer, a move not required of her either, but she seemed unperturbed about being in his company. Oddly enough, she seemed quite content, though he knew that if things had gone differently in the past, they would have not given up the friendship they had formed years ago.

It had been so long since she felt compelled to act in the company of a man. However, something old and forgotten stirred, a longing for closeness, for understanding. She understood how deep he ran, how behind the jokes and the laughter was a quiet intelligence, trying to gain sense of this world they were stuck in. Had he come out here to find truth, while she had come to run from it? She wanted to know what that kind of communion with one's self felt like, what it would feel like to need that truth, to face a possible finalization of all she had experienced. Maybe they could help each other understand. Her hand drifted to find his, feeling the roughened texture of the back of it, cautiously lifting his hand until she could hold it with both of hers. She had an odd fascination with hands, every pair was different, each one told a different story. Whether it was the mangled hand of an ancient ship captain or the heavily calloused one of the farmer, they all were different. His hands showed the heavy wear caused by years of holding his heavy sword, pricked with scratches here and there from more recent cactus stripping. Other marks looked to be from thistles, and only the older scars looked to be from battle. Nothing recent.

Kisame leaned closer, wondering at what could hold her interest so intently. She was only touching his hand, but the look of fascination on her face said much more. He knew that a person's hands said much about their life, both past and present, and he could tell she was somewhat reading his life's story in a strange way. Perhaps she wanted to know more, her tendency to be overly curious overcoming her usual reserve. Though it may not have seemed so, he too had a natural curiosity towards the unknown. Without thinking, his free hand graced her cheek, wanting to know if it was as soft as it looked. Sure enough, it was, and when she didn't resist his touch, he threaded through a small part of her hair. As unkempt as it may have been, it still felt soft, though it needed a thorough combing.

Her hands shortly abandoned his, one reaching tentatively for his face. He leaned close, his cheek brushing against hers as he allowed the exploration, feeling her surprisingly delicate fingers brush his jaw. When her hand brushed against his throat, she could feel his pulse pounding through a wide artery, getting ever faster with each graze of her fingers. His skin didn't feel as rough as it looked, just normal, though the gill markings on his face were quite real and functional. Her breath caught when his hand went down her shoulder slowly, brushing down her arm. It was ridiculous, the way he was making her feel. They were hardly doing anything, just the slightest touches, but it was the way he was doing it that was making her breath shaky, her heartbeat race. That night with Itachi had been bittersweet, left no chance to explore the emotions she had felt back then. His mission had been first and foremost, it mattered more than the possibility of such things as attraction or even love. As much as they may have wished for it, it was impossible. However, these memories stirred again in Kisame's presence, her old, fond connection with him deepening into something she felt scared to acknowledge.

He stopped abruptly, sensing her hesitation, slowly figuring out why she seemed so... afraid? Not afraid of him, certainly, but afraid of being left behind again by someone she deeply cared about. From what little he could figure out, Itachi left her right after the fact, off to his death. Then her friends, one by one, picked off and away from her. She was afraid of losing him too. Though she squirmed in his grasp, trying to get away, for once he didn't give in to her whims and only held her tighter. "Sakura..." he started, surprising her by using her name without honorifics, "You're scared, aren't you?"

To her own surprise, she clung tighter to him instead of fighting. Her throat clenched with tears unshed, her hands gripping him roughly. "I'm... terrified."

He reached out and tipped her chin up to look straight at him. "I'm scared too. But you know what? Living in fear ain't living, and I think he knew that. He was terrified of dying, I'm sure he didn't tell you that. I think he was more scared, though, of losing the courage to go through with it. You did something, shook his resolve, made him think harder in the end. Once he even wanted to abandon the mission to get you to join us because he was in too deep, but I encouraged him to go through with it. I knew it would be hard on both of you, but it was better than living and wondering about that what if, what if things had gone differently. I've avoided so many things because I was afraid of doing something wrong, and every time I regretted it. You know what I mean?"

"I think I do." She closed her eyes briefly, pondering before looking back with more confidence. "He spoke with me about not having any regrets. It's just hard to get beyond that point, you know? No, I don't regret what I've done, I'm just... having a hard time going forward from there. And you, Kisame..." She turned around in his grasp, sitting on his lap and facing him fully. "Whenever you were around to help, whenever I was confused about something, I didn't ask anyone else. In that place, I was so uncomfortable, and nobody would talk to me about the things we did. With you there, I had a friend to rely on when I needed help. Near the end I... even grew fond of you, but things with Itachi had gone so out of proportion. I... couldn't think of anything else, but now... it's different." Her hand reached out again to touch his face gently. "I thought I was in love with him, and maybe I was, but I knew it was a futile love nonetheless. I wanted so badly to go and talk to you about what happened, but so much happened after I woke. For days I tried to make my way back, but it was impossible."

"The base was under complete lock down after that, you couldn't have gotten in anyway." He lightly brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face. "So I guess you didn't find me unbearable after all, huh?" A slight smirk spread across his face before growing serious again. "What could you have possibly wanted with me? I didn't do anything special."

"That's just it, Kisame, you didn't have to. All you had to do was be yourself. If I was feeling down, you'd crack a joke to make me laugh. If I was scared, you'd wait until I was ready to talk about it. There wasn't much I could depend on in that place, but I knew you'd be there to make sure it wasn't unbearable. But even more than that..." her hand moved up to brush through his hair lightly, finding it oddly soft. "You understood what it was like to feel left out. I know that you, and... well, probably Zetsu too, felt out of place even in an organization full of people with unusual talents. I feel out of place no matter where I go, I've just never felt like I could fit in. There was always something more out there to me, something I just couldn't place in my mind. I thought about you a lot in the days leading up to and during the war, wondering what you were doing and if you were alright. I didn't think much about the others."

He chuckled lightly, arms around her waist. "Funny, I thought about you too, you know. Don't know why I'd be worried about you of all people, Miss Creative with Potions, but I did." His eyes darted to the side uneasily before darting back to hers. "I guess I was growing to like you too, but i knew there was no point in someone like me getting that sort of attention. Believe me, I've been trying for years! But I kept away from you, I knew it was best for Itachi, and for you. I wanted all kinds of things back then, but I got over it. Hell I probably wanted you, too, but it was the wrong time, huh?"

She considered this for a short time before glancing up at him. "Maybe. But we're here now, and I still want you."

As badly as he might have wanted it, his conscience won in the end. "No, not yet. You gotta have some time to think, you know? Give it some thought. One thing I learned is not to do things too fast. Just think it over a bit, alright?"

"I've been thinking of it a lot! Before I blanked after the war, it was on my mind a lot more than it should have been. I won't change my mind!"

He gripped her shoulders firmly, asserting himself. "Alright, don't do it for yourself, then, do it for me. I don't exactly know how to process this either..." His hands held her at that distance until she reassured him with a nod and a small smile, understanding his need for time. No, he wasn't new to the art of romance, but this was far different from his first encounter, for certain. It would take some getting used to. "Thank you."

Her smile grew even wider. "This time around, I'll be the one to be around when you're confused, to help with whatever I can. I'll give that much back to you." He didn't respond to that in words, only holding her close to him, thinking over everything that had been said. Yes, maybe the roles had switched this time. He couldn't help but laugh at himself for that one.

* * *

A/N: And... I have made some progress on a fan fic, the only progress I've made on ANYTHING in an absurdly long time. Hope I'm not too rusty.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm FINALLY inspired. Thank goodness.

_You were always remembering something else,_

_eyes always on that distant shore,_

_it was far from here, wasn't it?_

Regrowth - Ch. 4

Sakura woke slowly, the increasing heat from the sun warming her blood. She was loath to leave her spot though, because she quite enjoyed being against this warm and comfortable pillow. However, her brain finally kicked in, telling her that this wasn't a pillow, and why wouldn't she just wake up already? No matter how good her shinobi senses were, or how much she trained, she was always so cloudy minded when she first woke up. Her cheek was pressed against something warm but firm, smelling lightly of the ocean. That was odd, she was about as far from the ocean as possible. It wasn't quite the same as the ocean, salty but with a definite masculine tone behind it. Her eyes opened, glancing up to see Kisame already awake and waiting. Oh, of course, that smell was him.

She blinked sleepily, coming out of the fog. "Morning." The oasis sparkled bright, enough food and water to keep them for a couple weeks, but she didn't feel like waiting here that long. "Where should we go? We can't stay here."

He seemed somewhat troubled, though it wasn't anything she had said. After a lengthy pause, he nodded down at her. "I want to go home."

Her brows met, puzzled. "Home? You mean back to Akatsuki?"

"No, no, none of us can go back there. I meant to the mist country, maybe further toward the land of waves. The mist has a lot of better things to do besides hunt me down, especially now that they are missing their Kage. They'll probably never get back on their feet, and even if they do, they won't be worried about war for a long time. I... wanted to be as far away from there as possible, but..."

"You miss it, right?" She smiled at him reassuringly. "Like you said, they're not worried about war right now, we could go right by them and they wouldn't even care."

"That's true enough, but... I don't think that's what kept me from going back. I saw it, not long after the big war. I saw the state it was in. It... really hit me hard."

"I had no idea you cared so much about that place..."

He rose to his feet slowly, packing away what little he could scavenge from the oasis that might be useful. "I cared more than anyone." With an uneasy glance at her, he turned away again, focused on what he was doing, though not really; this was just a distraction. "This was what Itachi and I really had in common. We both loved our home villages too much. He died thinking he was protecting Konoha, and he died honorably. Just as he was ordered to betray Konoha... so, too, was I ordered to betray the mist."

Her eyes widened; never had she guessed that he had given so much, just like Itachi. "W-what?"

With a nonchalant shrug, he gestured eastward. "Well, first of all, are you coming with me? If you are, I'll tell you while we're on the road. No point in sitting around and talking our jaws off. Might as well get something done."

She rose, stuffing just a few things in her sack before following right after him. "I'm coming. No matter where you're going, I'm not leaving."

"Alright then, kid, follow me. I know the way."

Instead of following behind, she laughed, running up to be beside him. "I do too."

He was somewhat surprised at first, but he remembered quickly. "Ah, that's right. You were there before. Well... As I was saying before, I was ordered to betray the mist."

"Was it Madara?"

"Sort of. He was the one that appealed to us, the swordsmen. We didn't listen to him at first, so he killed the Mizukage without our knowledge and made himself ruler. Not long after, we were given orders to attack the Mizukage, it must have been written right before the old man died. He knew Madara would take control so he ordered us to attack "the Mizukage" so... I don't know how to explain it. Well, nothing happened when we got there. Madara was in charge, and he had our attention. We did as he asked, and left the mist village disgraced without a single weapon thrown. I joined Akatsuki, but the others scattered. Still don't know why, but I guess in the end, I was more determined than they were."

"That's pretty confusing. Well... That's what you did, and I did what I did too, there's nothing we can do about it anymore. Naruto used to say something like that. He'd never give up, no matter what. I guess I got a bit of his stubborn attitude, being with him so long. It's what has kept me going, though. Even in the worst of it, I never gave up."

"That kid was insane. Someone had to do it, though. Well, whatever... I'm glad something came of it, I guess."

A smile slipped onto her face, remembering fondly all her friends in the past. Yes, most of them were gone now, but she was still comforted by their memory. "Although they're all gone, I'm still here to remember them. I'm here, and I remember their ideals and goals. Even if I were to go too, someone would still be around to remember somewhere." Silence fell around them, each in their own quiet reflection on events in their lives, the desert winds around them muffling even the sound of their feet. "What is the mist country like? We were only there for a few days, so I didn't get to see much. I remember that everything was in a fog, colder than normal, though in one area it actually made things hotter. So... what's it like there, besides the obvious?"

He paused reflectively. "I don't know how to really describe it... Ah... Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you feel like you can't breathe, surrounded by darkness, and then you wake up in a cold sweat?"

She shuddered. "Yeah. I've had those."

"That's the mist by night. Although... out in the land of waves, it isn't as bad. The closer you get to the hidden village, though... the harder it gets to keep sane. People not native to the land can get lost in the mists and wander forever. Others go insane, a few getting caught in the bogs or mires in the ground. The rest... well, some are never heard from again, while others can survive intact. Your Jounin, that guy... ah... what was his name..."

"Kakashi," she supplied.

"Oh right, right. I'm sure he got through because of his Sharingan. As for Itachi," he laughed briefly at the memory, "nothing could perturb that guy in the mist. Nah. With those eyes he was never lost. I suppose the Byakugan could find a way out too. For those of us born without those things, though, it's a matter of knowing. You might know a lot about strategies, medicine, all that, but believe me, if you fought me on my home ground, I'd win. There's no question of it."

"I know. It's not unlike enemies fighting me in fire country."

"Doesn't matter where I am, I can fight in it. Part of initiation into Akatsuki was that you had to visit each of the major countries." He grimaced. "It was nasty, but it proved to be the most valuable thing he ever made us do. Know your enemy, he used to say. Our leader may have been misguided, but he was a very smart man. He knew what he was doing. Well, the only reason you didn't have to do it was because there was no time for it. So... it's how I figured I could survive out here. But you know, it's still there, I still crave the ocean, it's never going to go away."

"Yeah, the ocean is so magnificent! It seems to stretch forever!" Beneath, the sands broke into cracked hard earth, hardy plants clinging to flood ravines, ancient, tiny coniferous trees sprawling from cliff sides. She motioned him to stop for a moment, collecting some of the growing pine cones from the branches. It was early in the growing season, the pine cones still quite green. With her kunai, she sliced a large handful, stashing them in her pack. Shuffling her pack back into place, she walked forth again. "The sap is really heavy in those cones this time of year, and sap from those trees makes a very effective salve for burns when combined with a few roots we should be able to find near here."

He chuckled, keeping pace with her again. "You're pretty handy. Now why didn't I get it in my head to find you and take you here to begin with? I could have used you a while back!"

"I suppose I am," she said with a laugh. "Although, I haven't been to all the countries like you have. There's still so much I haven't seen."

He stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at her. "Really now? Hey, I'm not in that big of a hurry to get home. How about you come along on that delayed mission of yours, huh? Now is as good a time as any, you know, what with hardly anyone guarding the borders anymore."

She paused, hesitant. "I... well, yeah, I mean..." Her expression suddenly grew bold, an odd trait of hers that he had seen a few times. Somehow he found that endlessly amusing. "Of course I will! I'm not going to chicken out. Damn it... I was in Akatsuki with all of you, for who knows how long. What would a few border guards be able to do?"

"That's the spirit!" He laughed wholeheartedly, slapping her on the back for good measure, causing her to stumble despite her own abnormal strength. "Alright. Let's head to Rain first, I actually have a few things that I should take care of there."

"Is there anyone left to take care of it?"

"I know that Konan is still alive, and knowing her, she's taking care of the village now. She always was such a caring person, I know she wouldn't turn her back on her home." He turned aside, walking north towards the country of rain, keeping his gaze averted. "I used to have a little crush on her for a while, but eh... I knew it wouldn't turn out into anything. She was unavailable, I was unavailable, and temporary flings typically don't turn out too well. She knew what I thought, and I knew what she thought, but we never talked about it. Anyway, she was Leader's girl, and she loved him flawlessly. I know she always will, too."

"I figured she did, it wasn't very obvious, but I paid attention." She followed silently for a moment until she remembered something else he had said. "What did you mean that you were unavailable? I didn't know you were in a relationship when I was around."

"Nah. I wasn't. Just... you know. Unavailable."

She understood that well. "Yeah. For a while I was too. Just didn't want to deal with it. Too much has happened, it's still a lot to absorb."

"Yeah. I can't help but wonder if Leader is still alive... He probably won't die until he figures out a way to end the wars."

She scoffed. "Yeah, well, we all know how that turned out. You suppose he's satisfied?"

"I don't know. We'll have to go and ask him."

* * *

The country of rain was aptly named. Hardly a minute seemed to pass between showers, both of them drenched to the bone quickly. Before long, Kisame sighed with resignation, insisting they find more suitable clothes for this weather. Sakura found a long dark sweater, perfect for the cold. Heavy, durable pants and arm bracers completed the set, and Kisame found much of the same thing, though he didn't seem to care much for long sleeves.

After departing the small village they had stopped in, Kisame frowned, looking back for a moment. "That was a close call." While in the village, a few people had given them odd looks. "They might have figured out we're here. Well... we better figure out a way to get through here. If anyone bothers to report us, he might send ninjas out after us before waiting for a description. Everyone here's still loyal to him, wouldn't want him to mistake us."

She smiled grimly. "We're still Akatsuki, you know. Let's let them know exactly who we are." She shrugged her pack from her shoulder, drawing out her old cloak. It felt so eerie to put on the familiar cloak, like it was something that had been missing and yet something that hadn't been missed. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kisame having the same reaction. They hadn't played this role in years. It wasn't the cloak giving her that feeling. It was _being_ _Akatsuki_ again.

They slipped into their old roles as surreptitiously as possible, staying out of sight and out of range of hunter parties en route to Amegakure. Once they neared the city gates, they dropped the stealth, walking slowly and quite obviously to the outer limit of the gate, waiting. Sakura started to continue forward, but Kisame held her back. "Don't. Better wait for an invitation."

She wanted to ask just what kind of invitation Pein might send them, but at the same time didn't want to know. A scramble of activity could be seen at the top of the gate, guards scurrying to report their presence at once. Without their signature hats, some surely recognized them by sight. Well... Kisame, anyway. Though Sakura had seen Amegakure before, she hadn't been out amongst the people enough for them to know her.

When the commotion suddenly ceased, Kisame smirked, not looking at her but directing a short, quiet comment to her. "Here comes our welcome..."

Before Sakura could even react, a kunai was at her throat. A flash of blue met her eye as she recognized Konan, chancing a glance at Kisame to see his smirk widen even further, Pein holding a katana pointed to his jugular. God realm... that was what she had heard this body was. Somehow, Pein had the ability to manipulate the dead. She stayed as she was, never flinching until Pein finally spoke out in his low voice. "Please. Come inside."

Konan drew her kunai aside, just as Pein was doing, allowing them forward with an empty gaze. Sakura understood what just went on. If they had started and attacked back, they surely would have been cut down. Only the true Akatsuki would trust the others. A disguised hunter would have retaliated. True, she hadn't expected this at all, but she trusted Kisame. With an inward sigh of relief, she followed Pein and Konan into a place she knew all too well. The enormous tower with gnarled faces still stood, though damaged in many areas. Scaffolding in some parts showed that they were reconstructing, though several buildings in the area were damaged as well. Despite the widespread damage, people seemed to be relatively happy, going about reconstructing the village with optimism.

Inside, the building was mostly intact, only some rooms having received damage. Wherever the damage had struck, people were hastily building, exceeding what she expected from usual building. She felt comfortable enough to ask. "Ah... Konan-san... Why is it that they're building so quickly? What's the rush? It's a time of peace."

Konan acknowledged her with a nod, though she kept her focus forward as she kept walking. "Perhaps, there is no knowing for certain. However, the reason is due to our climate. Rain is not kind to construction, or buildings already placed. The moisture can cause rot and mold, we are trying to prevent that as much as possible."

The main meeting room was just as she remembered it, though it echoed of emptiness, now only four members filling the room. Pein did not sit at the head of the table, but rather to the side, Konan across from him. Kisame hesitantly took his original seat, while Sakura took whichever one she came to first. After a short, tense stare-down, Pein finally spoke. "There are... many questions, but not enough time to answer all of them. However, there are far more things I must tell you, now that you have appeared once more. First and foremost, I must know you can be trusted. Tell me why you are here. Also, news of the outside world is a must."

Kisame glanced at Sakura briefly before continuing. "As you asked, I kept an eye out for Sakura here, just in case she might wander my way. Konoha's a mess, I'm sure you know. I kept a post out in Sunagakure, don't know if I ever told you that. Anyway, she found me by accident, now we're headed somewhere away from all the chaos. It's actually pretty peaceful out there, the only hunters we saw were yours, you know."

Pein's brows quirked slightly at that. His mannerisms were so much like Itachi's. "Is that so? What of Suna? Any hunters?"

Sakura spoke next, her eyes boldly meeting his. She knew there was nothing to fear, and she knew he would recognize that mannerism of hers. In a way, she was validating her identity by challenging his gaze. "They're like the walking dead. Nobody wants to fight anymore. The hunters we found were basically deserters, not being able to bear going back. Just like how I was for a while... The hidden villages are no threat now. Even if someday they might be, it will take at least a century to completely recover homes, resources, and armies. I... just want to live in peace now."

Pein's eyes closed, obviously conflicted with a decision, though she only knew that because she had read so many impassive faces in her lifetime. "This had been the original intent of Akatsuki. At the very least, my own personal vision. I realize now that idealism can only go so far. War, fighting, that too can only go so far. It was wrong of me to think that a single solution could solve every problem. Life is a delicate balance, and war and peace, too, are another balance." He stared at them impassively but his finger tapped the desk a few times before he schooled it away. Obviously he was very troubled. His eyes darted to Konan, and though she didn't even flinch, he seemed to get some resolve from whatever she might have told him. "I know you are who you say. I know you can be trusted. You can trust me as well. I have no intention of pursuing the other villages. As of now, we can only rebuild. However, there is something I have not mentioned to you."

Konan frowned slightly. "Is this wise?"

He only nodded briefly. "They must understand who they work with."

"Of course."

His chair scraped as he rose from his seat. "Very well. Please, follow me." He left no room for questions, swiftly exiting the room and into an inner hall. Sakura briefly noticed that Pein was not wearing the cloak of Akatsuki, favoring simple rain village styled clothing, simple short yukata and pants. She took the hint and removed her own cloak, the heat working in the rooms enough to where she didn't need it anyway. Kisame followed suit, and she looked about as Pein led the way deeper and deeper into the earth, to a chamber she never knew existed. From the look on Kisame's face, neither had he.

Darkness filled the chamber until she heard the click of a switch, lines of bright lights flashing one after another as the power turned on. Strange pods lined the walls, technologically advanced beyond even her own comprehension. She had known how to manipulate every medical machine back in Konoha, and she thought she had been at the pinnacle of technological knowledge. Boy, had she been so wrong. Maybe naive. What were these things? A hollow voice suddenly called from the back, still shrouded in darkness.

"You may return."

Pein nodded to the nameless source. "Of course." He obediently found an empty pod nearby, pressing a few buttons until the top of the pod opened with a rush of air. After entering a few more settings, he laid down in the pod, closing his eyes as the lid closed tight with another rush of air, sealing it. Sakura was completely baffled and she knew Kisame was too, though he was having a better time concealing it. When she looked around at the other pods, she recognized a few of the other aspects of Pein, the bodies he used as his guise. Wait... _The real one is not with them..._ Jiraiya's last words suddenly echoed in her mind. Of course... She turned suddenly towards the voice in the darkness. "So you're the real one."

He didn't laugh, but his silence seemed to indicate amusement. "Sharp mind, just like before. Yes. Now you understand why I took so many precautions. Madara knew. I couldn't let anyone else know, it is always hard to know who you could trust. We trusted him with everything we had..." He paused, contempt lingering in his tone. "So much for that. Konan, please..."

Konan was suddenly in action, turning on the final light and illuminating the dark end of the chamber. Sakura gasped, her usual check on her emotions slipping. What laid before her was some kind of mechanical monstrosity. Rods seemed to jut straight from his skin, hooking to numerous... _things_ in the walls. His red hair hung limp, the long strands straight and weak. The man himself seemed emaciated, his bones sticking out prominently. He seemed to be on death's edge, but she sensed such an immense chakra in him. Konan approached his machine, activating several glowing panels. The heavy rods disconnected from the ceiling and dissipated into... his body? Were the rods a part of him? Konan caught him when he fell, too weakened from the massive chakra it took to control his bodies.

Supporting him carefully, Konan looked up at them. "Nagato has been connected for too long. Please... if you would guard this tower for a few days... He needs his rest."

Kisame was still shocked beyond words, but Sakura came forward slowly, approaching the one now named as Nagato. Looking at Konan briefly for permission, she did a quick chakra enhanced scan of Nagato's frail body. "Such an expenditure... It could take weeks for him to heal properly."

Konan's eyes lowered. "I know. I know so little about healing techniques."

"I'll do what I can while I'm here. If I do, it should only take a week. We will eventually need to move on. After that, I'll teach you whatever I can so you can help him once I'm gone." She eyed Nagato once more. He was in bad shape, worse than she had let off. Konan didn't need to know how dire the situation was. Once she was through healing him, he could go a long time without assistance. He suddenly raised his head, his ringed eyes bloodshot and searching. She understood. They trusted.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter clashes with the manga. It's not canon. Like anyone cares anyway.

_We've done this before, this song and dance,_

_long ago in a place such as this._

_It seems long, far away,_

_Do you still remember?_

Regrowth - Ch. 5

Sakura wiped her brow, bent over a beeping monitor, checking several statistics. The advanced medical equipment here had been surprising, but then again, this whole country seemed to have things everywhere that just boggled her mind. Half the time she had spent at this machine so far had been figuring out what this thing _was_. However, she was smart enough to figure out the equipment quickly, hooking Nagato up to an IV and forcing him to eat. She supposed she should have put him out to force him to sleep too, but a look from him made her choose otherwise. Meanwhile, Konan stood vigilantly by, silent, simply watching.

Nagato's mouth twitched slightly as he watched her progress. "How long?"

Sakura sighed with exasperation. How many times had he asked that? "Like I told you, I don't know. It could take days, it could take weeks, it all depends on how quickly your body can recover. I can speed up the process a little bit, but not a lot. I have to let you heal as naturally as possible to prevent problems in the future." He said nothing to that, simply closing his eyes with resignation and clasping his hands on his lap. It was small things like that, simple mannerisms, that reminded her of Itachi. The two were actually startlingly similar, except for that blood red hair and spiraling ringed eyes. His eyes, though, even those reminded her of Itachi. The Rin'negan was mesmerizing, staring in them felt much like gazing into the Sharingan, only much more powerful, and somehow... different. Yes, it felt different, just like coffee tasted different from chocolate, but both had the same rich, powerful texture.

Pinching her nose, her eyes tired from staring at the screen so long, Sakura moved back from the panel, checking the fluids in the IV bag before addressing both of them. "You have a couple hours on this bag. Konan, I showed you how to put in the next one, so I need to go take a break for a while. If you need anything I'll be... well, I don't know where I'll be."

Nagato's mouth twitched again. "I'll let you know." He held his ring, Zero, in his palm, showing her briefly. Next to him, Konan showed her own ring, White. For a moment she was puzzled. Did they know she still kept her ring? No, no, of course they did. It was like Kisame said. Shinobi simply never gave up that kind of thing. They knew. She only smiled in response, holding up The Void.

"Right. I'll know." She stretched, her back popping, sounding utterly abused for those past hours. With one last snap, she rubbed her lower back, heading out of the eerily empty medical ward and heading toward the main lounge. A fire burned invitingly, though she expected this room to be empty too. However, Kisame sat nearby in a heavily worn chair. Wait. This wasn't the main lounge. Where was this? No, this was a side lounge, she remembered now. Her tired brain was playing tricks on her. She knew this place, she had come here during the first real talk she had ever had with Kisame. Here he was, too, in the same place, reading a book. In the past, she had never imagined him to be a book lover, but she eventually learned better. He did read quite a bit, though not as much as Itachi. She flopped down into the chair right across, incidentally the same one she had taken before. He looked up briefly at her, noticing her tired expression.

"Found something good on the shelf, if you feel like reading." He didn't wait for a yes or no, tossing the book at her, knowing she would catch it even if she was nearly dead with fatigue. "Figured it would be something you'd read." With that, he went back to reading his own book, so old and worn she couldn't make out the title.

She turned over the book he tossed at her to look at the cover. Anthology of modern philosophy? It wasn't something she would pick up at first glance, but out of curiosity, she paged through it. It contained several essays by many authors about theories on the world and why things went the way they did. Something like this would never have caught her eye, but now she couldn't turn away from it. She had always found philosophy as a curiosity, something she often had to ignore in favor of medical journals. Eventually, though, she was distracted by the increasing heat in the room as the fire burned full force. He must have just started the fire before she entered.

Kisame fidgeted in his seat noticeably. "Ugh... it's fucking hot in here." He unzipped his cloak hastily, chucking the heavy load away. His defined muscles seemed to ripple with every movement, though with that kind of muscle mass it wasn't surprising. A slightly faded ANBU tattoo moved along with his shoulder as he turned in his chair, stretching after reading so long. She didn't want to look like she was staring, but she couldn't look away. Everything in life was interesting in its own way, and she hadn't really gotten to have a good look at him like this. The extent of his demon possession had left him with a different kind of musculature, bigger in some areas, especially the shoulder and pectorals. Her eyes darted hastily back to the book when he turned back around.

Sitting next to the fire didn't help her situation. It was already stifling in here, and somehow she was getting warmer by the second. She couldn't take it anymore. The cloak was the first to go, followed by her heavy sweater, leaving a plain black camisole. Relief was almost instant, and she couldn't help but sigh at the cool draft.

If Kisame had been a weaker man, he would have done something inappropriate in the company of an attractive, sweaty kunoichi. Fortunately he wasn't a teenager anymore. He had learned his manners long ago. The hard way. He grimaced to himself, remembering that very painful lesson. What had become of that woman? he wondered. Was she still in Kirigakure, being a good citizen, unlike him? Probably still emasculating every man in her presence. That testy brunette knew well how to put a man in his place, and he still bore the scars. Not to mention her technique, a liquid that could melt anything, even hard stone. He thanked every male conscience he had that he knew better than to mess with a woman. After all, Sakura could undoubtedly think of something far worse.

She turned the page, now only halfway interested in the reading. Honestly, she was tired. It had taken the good part of three hours just to get Nagato out of critical state. How had he managed to last so long without medical care? Maybe Konan knew the basics. No, she doubted that, Konan wasn't very good with that, she was all battle. Who had done the medical business? Kakuzu had needed to patch Hidan back together now and then, same with Deidara. Maybe he was the medic. That made more sense. Without Kakuzu, Nagato would have begun to decline from that time. Had Kakuzu known about Nagato's secret? No, probably not. She shoved the thoughts out of her mind. It didn't make sense, and didn't matter now. Her eyes glanced up from the text, growing weary from all the reading. "So what are you reading about?"

He jumped slightly, so absorbed in his book that she startled him. "Oh, it's foreign mythology, from other countries. They have some pretty strange legends in here."

At the moment, she found that even more intriguing than the book on philosophy, so she walked to stand behind him, peering over his shoulder. An illustration of a large sea monster, a kraken, sprawled over one of the pages, grabbing boats and eating them. She chuckled lightly and pointed to it. "Figures you'd like something like that."

"That too, but hey, it's strange how a lot of foreign legends match up with ours, you know? They have myths about dragons, kinda like we do, except their dragons fly and destroy everything. Look here." He flipped a few pages, turning to the section about dragons. Sure enough, the illustration wasn't like any kind of dragon she had heard of in their own mythology, but there were similarities, for sure. "Tales about dragons come from all over the world, not just here. You suppose that dragons could have been real?"

She scoffed at that. "After looking at bijuu, I wouldn't be surprised about anything."

"Yeah, true. But then again, they have another story here about a guy that waxed a bunch of feathers to his arms and used them to fly."

"Now _that_ is definitely idiotic and not true."

He closed the book with a laugh. "Hard to tell what's real and what's not, isn't it?"

She barely caught the bitter undertone in his voice, that long-suffering tone that she recognized all too well. His casual humor nearly hid it, but she understood him too well to miss such a thing. Her hand reached to touch his lightly, looking at him with an unreadable gaze. "Sometimes the mystery is what makes it more alluring." His eyes widened slightly at her implication, but she ignored that, moving steadily closer, her face close enough to feel the warmth rising from his. Her lips hovered a bare centimeter from his own when a knock on the door made her jump.

Konan let herself in, carrying a tray with two bowls perched upon it. She took in the scene. Kisame, blushing madly, Sakura, her hand on his, and dangerously close to his face. The book on his lap, forgotten. She conveniently ignored the scene, setting the tray down on an empty nearby table. "He's asleep, and nothing urgent to take care of, so I thought you might be hungry."

Kisame recovered first with a small grin. "Your cooking always was some of the best I've had."

Sakura could smell the inviting odors already. "It smells delicious!"

With a small smile, Konan nodded. "Someone had to feed the masses. Bottomless pits, all of them. I had to learn to cook, so with that, training, and keeping Nagato well, I've had my hands full. Now, though, I think I would like to learn more about healing, to help Nagato more. I'm sure he would like to learn some techniques as well, just in case."

"Right... well, while I'm here, I should be able to do that. I don't want to leave until I see him well on his way to recovery, and most of that time will probably be him sleeping, so might as well. In return, you'll have to teach me to cook!"

"Of course." She made to leave the room, though before she exited, she paused under the doorway. "Life is short, you know?" She glanced back, her golden eyes glimmering. "It's best to take every opportunity you can." With that, she left as silently as she came, leaving the other two behind to contemplate what she meant.

Kisame sighed, glancing back at Sakura. "She has a point, maybe I should learn to cook a thing or two."

She smirked, her hand grazing his cheek. "That's not all she meant." Before he could even react, she tilted his head up, lips honing in for the kill, pausing only briefly to make sure that this time was not interrupted. The kiss began small and chaste, though a surge of emotions rushed to the forefront of her mind despite its simplicity. This fire that sparked between them was so much more intense than the fire that burned desperately in the fireplace. His lips moved smoothly against hers, slowly increasing the pent up passion between them. Things only turned more intense as the seconds ticked by, the overbearing heat finally causing them to break apart.

Sweat dripping down his face and breathing heavily, he recovered enough to speak. "It's really too fucking hot in here."

Her lips tilted in a playful smile. "Let's take our food outside, then." She grabbed the tray, two bowls of udon soup laden with meats and vegetables steaming invitingly. Before leaving, she shouldered her long cloak, noticing that he did the same. Not far from the side lounge was a terrace with a long overhang, protecting them from the relentless rain. After being in the desert so long, they had both lost track of the seasons, the desert an unchanging, hot waste. It was now early spring, and the chill air was a welcome relief from the overheated lounge. She placed the tray on a low wrought iron table and sat on a nearby cushion, breaking her chopsticks and taking a bite. Damn. Yes, she needed cooking lessons from Konan. Badly.

Next to her, Kisame had a similar reaction. "This... is the best udon soup I have ever had in my life. She's really improved in the past two years."

"There probably hasn't been much to do in the last two years."

"Probably not." He smirked slyly, pointing at her. "Hey, maybe you could try to be a chef."

She made a disgusted face at that. "I hate cooking, even with the really simple recipes I know right now. I just hate it. It's not like I'm lazy, I put so much time and energy into my training. I guess I just have an inborn hatred of it."

"Maybe you hate it because you're no good at it." With a low chuckle, he ducked just in time to avoid a punch to the head.

"I'm not bad at the recipes I already know! I guess I just never had the time or the motivation to do it after spending so much time each day training my ass off. I'd be so tired I could barely hop into the shower and then into bed."

He smirked. "Getting into bed won't be a problem _now_." He ducked another blow. She only smiled, her eyes glinting with mischief. Somehow, it was easy to ignore the innuendo, though of course she reacted out of habit, and because it was expected from someone of her temperament. Yet, she couldn't be mad with him, she only sighed lightly, eating more of her soup before responding.

"No, maybe not." Her look slowly grew somber. "At least now, we don't have to worry about being murdered in our sleep."

He also sobered at the thought. "That was always the hardest part of being a missing nin. No, of being a ninja. You never knew who was going to suddenly die overnight, you know? You never knew if it might be you next. But here, in Amegakure, Pein... no, Nagato, created a safe haven for us. It was one of the few places where we could sleep easy, and take some time away from the world. And now, yeah, it's even more so. In the desert, there was always the odd chance of a hostile ninja coming around, or something just as nasty, but not here. Maybe now I can get some real sleep."

"Real sleep..." She leaned back against the stone wall, looking up into the overcast sky. "I don't even remember what real sleep feels like. I've been running and hiding for so long. Well... I guess I don't mind, then, if we have to wait long enough for Nagato to fully recover. It would be a relief to finally get rest." A small smile finally graced her lips, her gaze slowly drifting to his. "You know, despite all the rain, this is a pleasant village. The people here have had hard lives, but relatively safe ones. It's easier to relax. It may be wrong, but sometimes I wonder if this massive destruction was actually a good thing. But... then again, so many people died... I guess I don't know what to think about this."

He nodded slowly, his face grim. "Don't think you're alone there, you're not the only one who has wondered from time to time. But then I would see a half crazed ninja wandering the desert, looking for all the world like demons were after them, and I would see that this was no life that anyone wanted. The only people benefiting from this are the civilians and the neutral countries."

It was so similar to something Itachi had said before. To the people of neutral countries, all ninjas were evil. They did nothing but disturb the peace and cause casualties. "In a way, so do we, the sane ones left behind. We can finally rest safe in our beds. We can finally not worry about the children of the villages, or the wounded in the hospitals. We can find other hobbies, we can find out what else there is to life besides killing enemy ninjas. Whether it was right or not, it did happen, and we might as well take advantage of whatever benefits we can."

"Yeah, might as well. We can't take it all back. Although, whether Madara was around or not, there still would have been massive conflict. There still would have been another major clash. We just faced the inevitable."

She tilted her bowl to her lips, finishing off the last of the warm soup. On a cold day like this, it was a comfort. Her hand rested on his shoulder once he finished as well, his eyes darting in her direction. "Thanks, Kisame."

"For what?"

"For listening, I guess. I couldn't always talk about things like this with the people I knew before. Sometimes my thoughts would turn to something dark but realistic, and many of my friends were too set in their ways to think of such possibilities. They didn't like my sometimes morbid fascination with some things. But I think you can understand, at least somewhat. It's easy to talk to you."

He sighed heavily. "I know what you mean about that. I haven't exactly had a lot of people to talk to either. You know. Blue skin and all that. ...well, and the mutilation thing. I kinda had this thing about mutilating corpses once in a while. But hey, I got carried away! Anyway... being in this organization was a good chance to find people to talk to, at least for freaks like us. Everyone had their own strange problems, and I guess we all appreciated that, if nothing else. Hell, you were the most normal member we had in there. Even so... I found you easy to talk to also." He offered a saucy grin. "Maybe we both have a strange penchant for the complicated and messy."

Her loud laugh resounded off the walls of the terrace, providing a strange echo around the patter of rain. "We're ninjas, everything is complicated and messy, it's just our way of life." She paused suddenly in mid thought, sitting straighter and staring at him with wide eyes. "Wait... it... it's not. Not anymore. It's not our way of life now. Nobody needs ninjas now. What does that mean for us?"

He shrugged. "Well, like you said, we just find something else to do. You can be a chef, and I can provide the sushi!"

"There is NO way you are making me be a chef." Though she was adamant on that one, her gaze seemed to be away in the distance again. "No, that's not for me. But I think... for now, we'll just stick together. Maybe we'll travel around, see the different countries like you suggested. Maybe then we can find something we would like to do."

"You'll stick with me... huh?"

"Yes. I'll stick with you." Even in the overcast, dim light, he could plainly see her warm smile, reassuring any doubts he might have had.

"Good. I was starting to get really sick of being ditched all the time." He smiled once more for good measure, his gaze returning to the skies above. What was it out there that she was always looking for? What was it that she saw in those vacant skies, lost in thought?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: One hiatus to another. Oh well.

_Who I am, more than that,_

_Who you are, more than this,_

_What that is, unknown feeling,_

_What this is, unseen visions._

Regrowth - Chapter 6

Sakura checked her notes for what had to have been the tenth time that day. Nothing added up. It made no sense for Nagato to even have the Rin'negan, much less how he used it. Supposedly his parents had been ordinary people leading ordinary lives doing ordinary jobs until they were killed. Neither of them had had this bloodline trait, so why had it shown up in him? For that matter, why was he able to summon metal rods from his body? Everything about Nagato was a biological impossibility to her.

"Alright, I'm going to show you a series of pictures that will go by quickly, and I'll see how many of them you can remember. I need to test the reflexes of the Rin'negan to try and help you." She adjusted a projector nearby, still amazed by the technology that the country of rain boasted. Right now, she needed to determine whether the Rin'negan had similar properties to the Sharingan. Already he had confirmed that there was very little similarity to the Byakugan, though his eyes were more useful in other ways.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes, for the last time. If you want me to heal you, I have to be able to understand every aspect of your abilities. For all we know, the Rin'negan might be the source of your problems. I don't know anything about you, really, so I need to find out whatever I can. Now, watch carefully and catch as many of the images as you can." She flipped a switch, the light going on in the projector, then turned through the slides slowly at first, then speeding up until it was too fast for her own eyes to keep up. Finally, she ran out of slides on the enormous wheel.

"Don't bother, I saw all of them." Nagato leaned back in the chair with a sigh, stretching until his back popped. "The last five looked a bit unusual, though. Like someone spilled on them."

"Oops..." She took out the last handful of slides, inspecting them before cleaning them off with her shirt. "Amazing. Your eyes have similar properties to the Sharingan. You could copy all sorts of techniques, but at the same time you would have greater perception and vision depth than the Sharingan. Still, it's definitely more similar to the Sharingan than the Byakugan, which is good since I'm more familiar with that after healing Kakashi one too many times."

"Ah, I remember him. He was definitely useful during the wars, and I do believe he's still alive."

She paused suddenly while putting the projector away, her eyes darting to his. "What? He's dead." Her gaze grew bitter. "He left on a mission and never came back."

Nagato thought for a moment, going through his memory. "It was about a month and a half before you came here. We had reports of a silver haired man with a single Sharingan roaming about the grass country. Your Kakashi is the only man I can think of with such a description. I didn't think anything of the report at the time, I figured right away he must have been under Konoha's orders, so I didn't correspond with them. We've been trying to keep a low profile, after all."

Her hand went to her throat reflexively, her heart giving a sudden leap of joy. "He's alive? I can't believe it... how on earth did he survive? Why didn't he go back to Konoha?"

He gazed at her solemnly. "Why haven't you?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "It could be that he lost his memory in an accident. I've seen it happen to one or two of our own. Usually a head injury or a fever that goes on for too long, but I'm sure you know all about that. Still, my scouts are very reliable, and I'm sure they said he was there, but mind you, this was some time ago. He could be anywhere by now."

"Damn... It's still something, though. At least we know he was alive then. He's probably still around. I hope. Kisame wanted to take me on a sort of mission, to see all of the major countries, and the minor ones too if we want to. He told me that it had been a mission that every Akatsuki member had to take before they were initiated." She laughed under her breath. "It's funny, even with everyone else scattered or who knows what, I still feel like I belong to Akatsuki. At the same time, though, I feel like I'm also a part of Konoha. I don't want to go back yet... not now. Maybe someday. For now, though, I don't have many other options. I could freelance, but I'd much rather take on this mission... even if it doesn't apply anymore."

"Whether it applies or not, it's a good idea. The only way you can comprehend the world is to see the world. Look at it, and see beyond what you can see."

A smirk lit on her face. "Look underneath the underneath, hm?"

"Something like that, yes." He winced suddenly, leaning over to reduce the pain.

Before he could even react, she had hin braced over her shoulder, arm around his waist, pulling him gently to his feet. "Alright, that's enough for now, you need to rest. Don't tell me you're fine, either, you know it won't work." He quietly complied, allowing her to support him as she guided him to the room next door. Inside, she made certain he was laying down before spreading her hands over his midsection, sending chakra into his body to investigate the problem. "I should have known it was too soon to move you."

"No, it's alright. It's not because I was moved. My stomach has been troubling me for some time."

Glaring slightly, she pushed the chakra further down. "That's because you don't eat enough! I swear, you eat like there's no point in eating. Your stomach is the only one that knows any better!" A slight drop of her mouth suggested differently. "Well, are you happy now? You've got a stomach ulcer from all that stress." Focusing her chakra further, she concentrated on his stomach and healed the overgrown ulcer, sighing with relief once it was finished.

"Well-" A large granola bar was shoved in his face.

"Eat it. Now. And don't go without eating because I swear, if you get more ulcers from not eating, I'm not healing them!"

Such a strange girl, he mused. Normally anyone with such an attitude would have been quickly and efficiently silenced, but not her. Besides, he knew better from the old days. Listen to the medic or else. He quietly ate the granola bar, his eyes flicking to hers with focused scrutiny. "Sometimes there is no point in eating, but this is mostly due to how long I have spent needing to keep such a close eye on this country. I'm everywhere at once, and before I know it, the day has been spent. If Konan weren't around to make sure I slept once in a while..." He stopped, not wanting to go into detail.

"Yeah, I know. Well, we'll be here until you're better, so you better get as much sleep as you possibly can, even if I have to sedate you! Don't think I won't."

He had to admit, he was pretty tired. So much for trying to be a god. "I know. All we can do is accept our humanity, and act according to it."

She looked rather ridiculous, mouth open and about to point something out, but his words triggered a distant memory inside. What he said echoed of Itachi, something she had tried to not think about ever since Kisame found her in the desert. "Yeah, that's true. Even the most powerful of ninjas has weakness of the body and the things it requires."

He caught on to what she hadn't said fairly easily, always having been a decent guesser at what was going on in the minds of others. "You're thinking of him."

"Who?"

"Itachi." The empty granola bar wrapper found itself in the garbage, his hand now reaching for the cup of water to the side. He took a long drink, pondering. "You loved him," he added, almost an afterthought.

Her blush was barely contained. "W-what? I never said anything..."

"You didn't have to." For once, he allowed a small smirk to grace his lips. "I knew what was happening. The others never had the ability, but I was able to see your chakra signals when you were near each other. You may have never acted like it in public, but as you said, my eyes catch more than what can be seen."

She huffed slightly. "Really now... Well, so what if I did. It doesn't matter now. What matters now is making sure you're recovering. I'll let you sleep."

As she turned to leave, he added one more thing. "He saw something that others didn't, you know. Underneath that girl desperate to show her worth, underneath the need to find something you could specialize in and finally be good at, he found someone that already knew where that path lay. All he did was direct you down that path."

"So you're saying he kept me here longer than he intended to."

"Despite your very talented mentor, your potential was being stifled under the protective wing of Konoha. If you were in Konoha _now_, you would be in ANBU." She moved to interject a comment, but he stayed her with a gesture. "I'm tired. If need be, we can talk of this later."

"Well, alright... but you better still be asleep when I come back or you know what will happen!" Before she left, she added a smile. "Thanks."

* * *

In the kitchen, Kisame wasn't having much luck with the stove. "Wait, how does this thing work again?"

Konan held back a sigh, turning the knob on the stove. A rapid clicking sound came from the stove, and he edged back cautiously. She only rolled her eyes, waiting until the stove lit. "See? That's all you do. Come on, really, why is it so hard? You've used these before, right?"

"Yeah right..." He eyed the flames warily. "I have this... thing... about fire. Plus, my only experiences with cooking involved either a camp fire or watching someone else do it."

Her thin brow raised slightly at that. Kisame, afraid of fire? Then again, his partner had been Itachi, the essence of unstable. "Well, there's no need to worry about this. If something lights on fire, you can just put it out. Kisame... stop lurking in the corner like that. Come here. I know what you mean about fire, but you can't let your fear rule you." His fear of fire was unwarranted, being a suiton user. Her fear, however, was very understandable with her paper jutsu. "Come here already! If I can do this, you can too."

That comment snapped him out of his daze, his feet reluctantly carrying him to the stove. Before he could say another word, she shoved a spoon in his hand, opening a recipe book. He stared at the print cautiously. "Oh... so... now what? Just follow the instructions?"

"When you're first learning, yes. Later on you'll have a better feel for how much to use, as well as add your own variations, but for now, we will follow this recipe. I'll chop up the vegetables while you practice browning the meat." She grabbed a small package out of the fridge, dumping a pile of chopped beef into the sizzling pan. "Let the meat cook for a little bit, then turn it with your spoon. Keep stirring it until the meat looks done."

"Um... how will I know when it's done?"

"It should be brown and maybe just a little crispy, but not burned. Once it's brown, we'll add the vegetables, and stir it until those are done too. Now, read the recipe. What else do we need besides meat and vegetables?"

He took a moment to peer at the recipe, still stirring the meat absently. "Ah... in a large pot, boil two cups of your choice of noodles."

"Alright, I'll get that started." While she went to grab a large pot, he couldn't help but notice that several sharp paper knives had kept up the vegetable chopping for her. He had to admit, she was one handy woman. For now, he stuck to watching her as she prepared the noodles. This wasn't hard at all once he focused on the task at hand and not the fact that _there was a fire burning very close by_ and that was making him very nervous. Before he could ask whether this looked brown or not, Sakura came through the kitchen door, meandering to the stove curiously.

"Wow Kisame, I didn't know you already knew how to cook a little."

He chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "Well, no, I don't. Does this look brown to you?"

She peeked over into the pan. "Um... kinda. I guess."

Konan took over, looking into the pan. "Not yet, a little longer. I set the noodles to boil at the same time because once they are done, the meat will be done too. Actually, let's put those vegetables in the pan too." With a flick of her wrist, the paper of one of the blades flattened into a small platter, the other knife scraping the vegetables onto it. Kisame moved back to let the curious jutsu do its work, setting back to stirring once the vegetables were in the pan.

"That's a pretty handy technique you have," he muttered.

"The art of paper is very versatile. Whether I need a weapon, transportation, or just something to help with cooking, I can find a variation to use. It's important as a shinobi to be as well rounded as possible."

"I doubt that any of the men here could have complained about how well rounded you were." He smirked, ducking the blow that she aimed his way.

_So that's how he learned to be so agile_, Sakura mused. She took a moment to glance at the recipe. "Add olive oil and spices to taste? How are we supposed to know how much to add?"

Konan reached for a few spices as well as the oil. "We're supposed to guess, really. I just add a drizzle of oil and a few shakes of basil and oregano." She slipped a colander into the sink, dumping the noodles in to drain. A bit of olive oil went onto the pan of vegetables, along with the two seasonings. Once that was complete, she dumped the noodles back into the large pot, finally adding the vegetables to the noodles and stirring. "Alright, we're done. Would someone set the table?" Sakura immediately went to the task, setting up a serving dish as well as bowls and chopsticks. At a loss, Kisame simply sat down at the table, soon followed by Sakura. Konan dished up each of them a serving, dishing the rest into the serving bowl. "Not bad for your first try, is it?"

Kisame took a very cautious bite, blowing on the noodles. "Hmm, not bad at all! A little bland, but hey, I never liked the fancy stuff anyway."

Sakura regarded the mixture with close scrutiny. "We could always add some curry or hot peppers to make it spicy, or parsley and thyme to make it more savory..."

"Well, cooking is little more than blind experimentation most of the time," Konan added. "Trial and error, mostly error. This, though, is pretty good. I think you two may just be passable chefs someday." She added a sly wink for good measure.

Kisame pointed to the empty chair next to Konan. "He's not joining us?"

"He's asleep, and with luck, he will be all day," Sakura said with conviction. "I made sure he ate something before that, though, so we can put this in the... fridge, right? Is that what that thing is?"

"Yeah, you're not gonna find these things just anywhere. It might be good to make more, though, and sell them to other countries."

She paused for a long time, simply eating until the last bite was gone. Then, without looking up, she spoke quietly. "Would it be alright if we went to the grass country first, Kisame?"

His brows raised at her reserved tone. "Ah... sure. Any particular reason?"

"Nagato said that his scouts might have seen Kakashi there a month and a half ago. If he's still alive, I need to find him."

"Oh, the copy ninja, right? Yeah, I remember, he was your teacher, you said." He stared down at his own empty plate, pondering. "Oh man, he was friends with that guy in thr green suit, wasn't he? If I never see that green guy ever again my life will be perfect." A long groan sounded from his chest. "That moron wouldn't remember me anyway, the twit."

She snickered at that. "Who, Gai-sensei? I often think that most of those who live in Konoha wouldn't mind a few years without speeches about youthfulness. Last I heard, though, he had moved out to the cloud village to finish up a few final peace pacts. It's amazing, but I think that Cloud and Konoha might finally start to see eye to eye. It took a war of insane proportions, but maybe... maybe in the end, it was worth it. I don't know. At the least, it gave us something to salvage from the ruins."

Konan used her paper jutsu to clear the dishes away, her finger tapping on the table thoughtfully. "It is true that recently the Leaf and Cloud have been at peace. Not long before the wars, the Mist came under a new Kage, and ever since, things have been starting to get more peaceful even there."

Kisame perked up at that. "A new Kage? Who?"

"Hm... I'm not certain of her name, exactly, but she was described as having very lengthy brown hair and pale eyes. She's unnervingly cheerful and flirtatious, or so the male scouts said."

He sunk in his chair. "Oh no... Oh please, not her..."

"I take it you know her."

"Yeah, you can say we've... met." The two women eyed him down until he unwillingly continued. "Mei Terumi... I mean, she's very open to suggestions and a fluid thinker, but _god_... she is such a _feminist_ it makes a guy want to dig himself into a hole. She'll respect you if you're a man, sure, but you better not make any off-handed comments about her, or even anything she might misconstrue as off-handed! Well... at least she's not Yagura. Anyone is better than Yagura was. If you want someone to blame for all of the barbaric practices back then, blame him. You remember Zabuza, Sakura? Yeah, that's who he was trying to kill when he got kicked out. He got us all kicked out for that. The last I heard after being kicked out of the Mist was that his bijuu was removed from him and allowed to roam free until we went out and got it."

Sakura could barely wrap her head around politics sometimes, but she knew enough to make sense of all of this. "At least it should be safe enough for us to go there again, right?"

"I suppose... if we stay out of sight. If we go into the village, though, I have no idea how we would be received. They might try to kill us, they might welcome us back like long lost family. There's no telling how Mei is running things over there now. Let's just stick to finding that sensei of yours, for now."

"Yes... I need to find Kakashi, especially if he lost his memory. I remember now what it was like to be lost without a purpose, I can't imagine what it would be like to forget everything, too." The long pause that followed was uncomfortable, her tone reflecting her long-standing affection for her teacher.

"We'll need a map, then. I know in theory where most things are, but it's still a good idea to keep a map around. I'll be in the library." He rose from the table and left the room, leaving the two women alone. For a while, neither said anything, but eventually Konan spoke up.

"How about we go up to the lookout in the meantime? If Nagato really is asleep, it might actually not be raining for once."

Sakura quietly followed after Konan, following her to the place that had been witness to events that had changed the Akatsuki- and herself- into what they were now. She still remembered the day Pein had brought her here, showing this vast city to her. She remembered seeing Madara in the crowds below, remembered the glint of his eye shining in the dull light. Being here filled her with memories, some pleasant and some not so much, some she would rather forget and some she wished she could remember clearly. However, this time there was no masked man to worry about, no impending doom... no Itachi. Her heart clenched involuntarily, her mind unwillingly sending her back all those years, remembering her last few days with him. Konan stopped at the lookout, sensing something was wrong, turning to look at Sakura.

"Are you alright?"

"I... yeah. I mean no, I mean... I don't know." She paced in a small circle briefly before sitting at the edge of the platform with a thud. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I was finally doing fine, I really thought I could move on now, I was so sure I had put the past behind me. Now I don't know what's going on anymore."

Konan leaned back against the side wall, looking out over the edge of the platform into the city. She understood what it was like being in a place so full of memories. "You want to forget, and yet you don't. You want to abandon the pain, but at the same time it is a part of you you can't deny." She nodded solemnly. "It is the same for me, though in a different way. I almost lost Nagato to that monster. I made sure personally that he wouldn't go any farther, as you remember."

She bit her lip, staring at her hands, though not really looking at them. "I killed Sasuke with my bare hands... Sometimes I still wake up thinking I can still see blood on them. I wanted to forget, forget everything... I wanted so badly to go on like nothing had happened."

"I'll tell you something that Nagato said to me when I said something similar to him. He told me that without the rain, there wouldn't be a rainbow. Whether it's bad or good, all events still happened, and forgetting about them is pointless. We need to remember the people who gave their lives or were injured, so that their loss is not in vain. They fought because they wanted to protect others, because they believed in us."

"Yeah... Kisame said something like that when he found me in the desert. We live to carry on the memories of those that passed on. Itachi reminded me of that we look to the future, so the past doesn't swallow us up. What matters is what we choose to to do now, not what we did then."

"He was wise, and Kisame is wise too. He may not seem like it most of the time, but he is just as much of a deep thinker as Itachi was. However, he keeps it to himself most of the time, so he has definitely been one of the most underestimated members around here. When he first joined, I wondered if he was just some hired muscle, but one day he said something I'll never forget, and it completely changed my perspective of him from then on."

"Oh? What was it?"

"Well, one day I was just minding my own business, making some origami in the main lounge. I was trying to make some stacking origami, so I was very concentrated on it and didn't notice him come in. Naturally it scared me to no end and I panicked, but he just smirked down at the mess on the table and sat across from me. Sasori had been on one of his art rants that day, so I suppose we both wanted to get away from that..."

_Her eyes glared up at him. Great. Just what she needed, a watcher. She cautiously put the very last stacking box on the top of the pyramid, sitting back satisfactorily._

_"You know, Konan, although Sasori keeps saying his art is eternal and all that, his argument has no substance. I believe that your art is more similar to the realities of life."_

_She stared at him blankly. "...what?"_

_He took one of the boxes from the bottom of the pyramid, the whole thing collapsing. Before she could get angry, he gave her the box with a smirk. "We all live in a house of cards, see?"_

Sakura leaned against the opposite wall, thoughtful. "A house of cards... yeah, I think I get what he meant. Pull one thing out of alignment, and you have a mess. Cause and effect."

"Yes... it changed my perspective of both him and things in general. Sometimes the small things we do can affect the larger scope of life. Our paths can be changed, but sometimes fate can guide you too. It's a strange sequence of chance and change."

"I won't leave my life up to chance anymore. I'll do what I can to get over this." Looking up at the clear sky, she could see the stars above, shining just the way they did every fateful night of her life. It didn't bother her anymore. Now, she only felt content to let her memories reside in her heart.


End file.
